In a sea of distress, one British political leader cracks a few jokes

Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party (yes, I’m afraid it’s yet another woman) spoke to an audience of British political journalists yesterday and kept them entertained with what was almost a stand-up routine.

On the subject of her CV, she took a mighty dig at Andrea Leadsom, whose published CV had not stood up to scrutiny. “Before politics not only was I a BBC journalist, I single-handedly saved the British banking system during the Barings collapse, and I piloted Apollo 13 back down to earth,” Davidson said. “A little-known fact is that I was the original Misha the bear at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which is the same year that I won Eurovision, which, speaking as a mother, is a hard thing to do.”

On the possibility of a televised debate with rival Angela Eagle, who has challenged Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership of the Labour Party, Davidson said she told outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron’s communications chief: “I love a fight. But are you absolutely sure that you want two short-haired, flat-shoes, shovel-faced lesbians with northern accents?”

And on the chaos and multiple resignations since the referendum, she told her audience: “I am probably the only person still in post since then … I think the really mad thing in all of the last few weeks is that the last man standing is Jeremy Corbyn … That’s the difference between our two parties: Labour is still fumbling with its flies while the Tories are enjoying their post-coital cigarette … After withdrawing our massive Johnson.”

Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party